Do we need more vegetarian meals in school canteens in the metropolis of Rouen?
By Adrian Filoche
Published on
At the end of August 2022, a few days before the start of the school year, a resident of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (Seine-Maritime) launched a petition in which she demands more vegetarian menus in kindergartens. “We are not asking for substitute menus, only respect for everyone’s choices,” she wrote.
“The freedom not to consume meat does not prevent those who want to from eating it, it does not impose any additional burden on the contrary”, completes this mother, in her text. Before adding: “The meat is served to the children without taking into consideration the values, beliefs and lifestyle of the parents who nevertheless remain the first educators of their children. »
The possibility of an alternative meal
Asked about this, david fountain, assistant in charge of school affairs and member of the Normandie Écologie group, says he is “in favor of seeing vegetarian meals in canteens as long as the word ‘belief’ does not come into consideration. We do not derogate from the principle of secularism in our schools, ”he notes. And to clarify: “I don’t mind having more vegetables, legumes or fish on the plates if the quality and quantity are there. »
Murielle Renauxassistant in charge of early childhood and youth, specifies for her part that the municipality of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray offers “one vegetarian meal per week as recommended by the EGalim law [lire encadré]. In addition, every day the children also have the possibility of an alternative meal, based on egg or fish”.
2,200 meals a day are served in the municipal canteens of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.
However, the organization in the canteens of the city could change soon, as the elected official comments. “For the start of the 2023 school year, the municipality is considering the idea of setting up a reservation system, like what is done in Rouen”. The menus will remain to be defined. “I can’t say whether there will be more vegetarian meals or not with this new formula, but a reflection is underway. It is to be built with elected officials and parents. »
One vegetarian meal per week in canteens with the EGalim law
In accordance with the EGalim law, all school catering – from kindergarten to high school – must offer at least one vegetarian menu per week since November 1, 2019. In other words, a single menu based on vegetable proteins. In August 2021, the Climate and Resilience law voted in August 2021 confirmed the obligation of a weekly vegetarian menu.
The example of the Rouen canteens, with a reservation system
In Rouen, precisely, school canteens offer a compulsory vegetarian meal per week. Added to this is a reservation system, through which children can sign up, up to three times a week, to eat an alternative meal. “The vegetarian meal imposed by law must be without fish, without meat and without eggs”, underlines Florence Hérouin-Leautey, assistant in charge of schools and early childhood. But in its alternative menu, the City of Rouen offers ovo-pesco-lacto options, that is to say dishes that can include eggs, fish or dairy products.
This alternative had been implemented in Rouen before the EGalim law, first in experimentation, then generalized in September 2019. “40% of people choose the vegetarian alternative offered by the City”, details Florence Hérouin-Léautey. And to conclude: “It’s good for the planet! »
And in the other municipalities of the Metropolis?
From November 2019, the date of entry into force of the EGalim law, the canteens of the municipality of Le Trait have activated the weekly vegetarian meal, without for the moment doing more than what the legislation recommends. In addition, the municipality has chosen a service provider applying the recommendations (50% minimum fresh products and 50% quality and/or sustainable products.) “In addition, 20% of the products are in short circuit”, says the town hall.
The town of Mont-Saint-Aignan stands out on one point: it has its own cooks responsible for preparing meals in the canteens. “We work with cooks to encourage children to taste things they don’t know,” insists Stéphanie Tourillon, assistant in charge of children.
Does this mean that there are more vegetarian meals on children’s plates? For the moment, school canteens only offer one per week, as recommended by law. And according to Laurent Carlin, responsible for municipal catering in Mont-Saint-Aignan, it does not seem wise to do more, at least for the moment.
“The vegetarian meal is a menu that is more difficult to consume, he confides. Passing vegetables around is not always easy. Vegetarian meals are less unanimous. He thus notes more waste when this type of meal is offered to children.
“Aprioris to be chased away”
According to one Evaluation of the experiment with the weekly vegetarian menu in school collective catering established in March 2021, “vegetarian dishes may have been subject to significant waste (up to 50%) at the start of the experiment”. The survey carried out by the AMF (association of mayors of France) also shows an increase in waste for 35% of municipalities and a decrease for 18% of them following the experiment.
In the current state of things, in Mont-Saint-Aignan, vegetarian meals are not unanimous enough to consider offering more than a week in canteens aimed at a community.
For Laurent Carlin, “you have to go gradually. There are already all the preconceived ideas to dispel, whether on the side of the children but also of the parents. Changing eating habits takes time. And the subject of food is ultra-sensitive. Laurent Carlin and Stéphanie Tourillon also insist on the idea of consistency, also encouraging parents to introduce more vegetarian meals at home.
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